


How It All Began

by MadhouseVagabond



Series: Adventures of the Battle Buddies [1]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: Assassins, F/M, Gen, Sweet, achievement hunter - Freeform, battle buddies, hinted Jeremwood, origin, secret agents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-24
Updated: 2017-06-24
Packaged: 2018-11-18 08:48:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11287803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadhouseVagabond/pseuds/MadhouseVagabond
Summary: Ryan Haywood's been in the game of hired assassin and undercover special agent for years, but when Rooster Corps decides to assign him a partner, the Vagabond isn't sure if they made the right decision.





	How It All Began

**Author's Note:**

> So I really have been wanting to write some Battle Buddies fics so here's the start to what I hope becomes a series. Let me know what you think!

Ryan was livid. He paced the floor of his quarters, trying to calm himself down but it wasn't helping. The tall man gritted his teeth in frustration and held himself back from punching the concrete wall of his room.

_Assign me a partner! Of all the nerve! Who do they think I am, some second rate rookie who needs a crutch?!_ he thought angrily. A darker voice he'd come to know spoke back in his head.

_They don't trust you anymore. You're too dangerous and this is their way of keeping an eye on you and the reigns on you in case something happens...again._

Ryan grumbled and glared back at the messenger who stood in his doorway watching him nervously. The kid was shorter than Ryan, then again most people in the Hunters organization were.

"Why are you still here Blanchard?" he growled. The young man paled and swallowed hard before replying.

"Don't you want to know his name?" he asked hesitantly and prepared to evacuate the premises if need be. Ryan narrowed his eyes.

"Don't make me strangle you with your own intestines," he said, causing the young man to squeak in fear and dart away. Ryan closed his room door and plopped down on the bed rubbing his face in his hands. He didn't have time for a partner, didn't want one. Not after what happened to Ray a few years back...

Ryan shook his head chasing the memory away as he pulled out a datapad with the contract assignment he'd just returned from, successful as always. He'd taken out the leader of one of the drug cartels in Brazil and had left the bodies burning in his wake, his favorite way to dispose of evidence. Making sure everything looked right he attached the required pictures of the cartel leader's corpse and stood to head to mission control. In the Hunters organization, a special force branch of the Rooster Corps, all operatives were to take photo evidence of their completed assignments and attach them to their contracts in order to get paid and receive their next mission.

While the Rooster Corps was similar to the CIA, their secret branch of operatives called the Hunters did all the dirty work no one else was willing to do to keep the world safe; from assassinations to rescue missions, the Hunters were the best of the best and always completed their contracts. They were basically glorified hitmen and bounty hunters, but with a cause.

Ryan made his way to mission control and paused outside the door. How could he avoid this whole partner thing while still going out on assignment? He sighed and pushed the door open, ready to cross that bridge when the time came. Two people were at the long wooden table in the center of the room while many support personnel sat at computer monitors throughout the room. The two people at the table had a map spread out before them and a giant holographic projection of the world floating between them from the table's projector. The woman looked up and smiled at Ryan as he approached.

"Ryan you're back! How'd the assassination go?" she asked casually. Ryan chuckled and tossed the datapad onto the table, the contract sliding expertly in front of the red head who looked down at it. For a second Ryan caught a look of surprise and horror which disappeared quickly to be replaced with a satisfied smile.

"Good work Haywood! Can always count on you to get the job done," she said. The other person at the table, a bearded man with brown hair and blue-grey eyes looked at the file.

"Holy dicks Ryan! What the fuck did you do to him?" he asked looking up at Ryan. The taller man shrugged and smiled.

"I just wanted to give him a sense of style," he said innocently.

"You gave him a motherfucking Colombian Necktie and sewed his lips shut!" the man exclaimed.

"I also cut off his eyelids, don't forget that," Ryan pointed out smiling proudly. The man put a hand over his eyes and sighed.

"Ryan you've lost your damn mind!" he said.

"You just don't appreciate style Geoff," Ryan pouted and crossed his arms winking at the woman who giggled.

"Don't encourage him Lindsay! I'm having a hard enough time with your husband as it is, I don't need two insane operatives!" Geoff exclaimed.

"To be fair I'm more mad than anything, and you knew that when you hired me," Ryan pointed out. He laughed as he dodged the pen Geoff threw at him. "Anyway I'm here for my next assignment."

Geoff and Lindsay exchanged glances and Ryan knew what was coming.

"Ryan, we..." Geoff started to say.

"I don't want to hear it Geoff! I don't give a fuck about a new partner and I don't want a new partner! Just give me my damn contract!" Ryan growled. Lindsay smiled sadly at Ryan.

"Ryan please try to understand. With the world the way it is now, and with more and more Hunters getting severely injured or killed while on assignment, we want to pair up Hunters in teams. It's nothing personal," she said. Ryan glared at her.

"The fuck it is. Look just pay me, give me my next contract, and I'll be out of your hair. Please," he said, the last word said softer. Geoff looked sadly at Ryan before standing and going to the computer near him, the contract in his hand.

"You're one stubborn son of a bitch you know that?" he asked as he scanned the contract. Ryan huffed as he walked over and scanned his dogtags on the other side of the computer. The machine whirred to life and calculated the amount the contract was worth before spitting out the amount into the disposal chute. Ryan snatched it up and quickly counted it, satisfied the machine hadn't fucked him. Geoff pressed a few buttons on the computer and read through some of the available contracts before selecting one and rescanning the datapad. There was a loud beep and then he held the pad out to Ryan.

"Please don't make me regret this Ryan. Please reconsider. You're one of our best agents and one of my best friends," he said sadly as Ryan snatched the datapad. The man frowned at Geoff and shook his head slowly.

"I work alone," he said simply and walked out of the room.

~~~  
~~~

Ryan walked back into Hunters Headquarters and wiped the sweat and blood from his forehead. The mission had been slightly more complicated than he'd anticipated and he knew with a sinking feeling that Geoff would force him into this idiotic partnership after what had happened today. He still wasn't sure what happened. He'd been hunting down another drug lord and had managed to kill him but was struggling with one of his runners when the man's head had exploded, literally. Ryan had wiped the blood off his face and looked up to see a small figure darting behind a cliff farther away, the last thing Ryan had seen was a flash of the figure's green hair.

It was an impressive shot I'll be honest! Would hate to be on the receiving end of that shooter's rifle! he thought. He walked into the command center and walked over to where Geoff was standing with Lindsay, backs to him talking to someone. Ryan cleared his throat and Geoff looked over his shoulder and smiled widely at Ryan.

"Well well well, look who finally made it back!" he said. Ryan raised an eyebrow and held up his contract.

"Another asshole down," he said.

"Any trouble while you were out?" Geoff asked with an odd smile that made Ryan narrow his eyes.

"No...why?" Ryan asked suspiciously.

"You can tell us Ryan, this is a safe place," a voice said behind Geoff, causing him and Lindsay to giggle. Geoff stepped to the side to reveal a short man wearing blue jeans, an orange tshirt, a purple blazer, and a white Stetson hat. He had sharp, piercing brown eyes that sparkled with amusement and brown hair, a beard and goatee adorning his face as if they were meant to be there. He was smiling slightly and Ryan caught slight traces of dimples. Ryan was speechless and just stared at the shorter man in amazement.

"Ryan Haywood, allow me to introduce Hunters' newest member, Jeremy Dooley. Or Rimmy Tim, JDoolz, what the fuck to you call yourself nowadays?" Geoff asked. Jeremy laughed and whipped off his hat and bowed.

"Just call me Jeremy," he said. Ryan gasped and was suddenly filled with anger and he glared at the trio.

"You!" he exclaimed and pointed at Jeremy. The man smiled innocently and placed a hand over his heart.

"Me?" he asked smiling. Ryan glared harder at the small man before him.

"It was you who stole my kill today!" he growled. Jeremy looked at his fingernails seemingly bored with the subject already.

"I don't know what you're talking about Rye Bread. I was just out minding my own business," he said, Geoff rolling on the floor laughing hysterically while Lindsay was trying and failing to remain professional.

"Don't give me that shit! I saw you and that green hair of yours out there after you killed the guy I was fighting!" Ryan exclaimed.

"Looked to me like the guy was fighting you. And you were losing," he winked. Ryan was conflicted. On one hand he was very impressed with the kid's sniper skills, and yes he was a little on the handsome side, and yes he was a feisty little fuck...okay Ryan liked this kid. He sighed and relaxed, crossing his arms and studying the kid.

"It was a very nice shot. Good job," he muttered. Jeremy's eyes lit up and he smiled.

"You think so? Thanks buddy!" he said. Geoff finally picked himself up off the floor and took Ryan's datapad and scanned it into the computer, Ryan tossing him his dogtags to be scanned as well, all the while studying Jeremy.

"You're a bit short to be a Hunter, how old are you?" he asked. Jeremy narrowed his eyes.

"I'm just the right height and I'm 25!" he said seriously. Ryan chuckled.

"You've got spunk I'll give you that," he said as Geoff returned with his payment.

"Glad you're getting along with your new partner!" he said. Ryan felt the blood drain from him and he snapped his head to Geoff.

"Geoff I told you I..." he started to say.

"Yeah yeah you're a lone badass wolf we get it. But Jeremy is here and needs a partner and you fit the bill so have fun and don't kill each other!" Geoff said as he pushed the two out of the room and into the hall before slamming the door shut. Jeremy looked up at Ryan.

"What do we do first buddy?" he asked. Ryan sighed and looked at his datapad, scoffing as he turned and started walking.

"Fucker didn't even give me a new assignment," he grumbled.

"You mean, US a new assignment?" Jeremy asked walking quickly to keep up. Ryan glanced down at the young man. He looked through his money and handed a third of it to Jeremy.

"Here. You might as well get paid for that crack shot you made," he said. Jeremy beamed as he counted the money and then shoved the small wad into his pocket.

"So...does that mean you're cool with me being your partner?" he asked hesitantly. He may not have showed it but he was very anxious about being accepted by the older Hunter. Ryan stopped and looked at Jeremy for a while, trying to decide what to do.

"Have you heard the stories about me from the others yet?" he asked. Jeremy hesitated before responding.

"Well, Bragg told me he saw you skewer a guy once with a golf club, mouth to anus, and then proceed to spit roast him," he said. Ryan smiled widely and nodded.

"That's how I work. I do worse shit to shitty people. Most people can't stomach what I do and some even call me mad. If you can handle watching and even helping me, then you may as well be my partner," he said. Jeremy beamed at Ryan.

"Then Haywood, prepare to have your world rocked!" he said. Ryan raised an eyebrow and smiled.

"That came out wrong! Shit!" Jeremy exclaimed and smacked his forehead. Ryan chuckled and patted Jeremy's shoulder.

"C'mon, lets go get some food to celebrate this awkward union," he said.

"Ryan! Why?" Jeremy exclaimed in a fit of giggles, Ryan laughing right along, thinking to himself that having a partner wasn't all that bad.

~~~  
~~~

Ryan reloaded his pistol and prepared to whip around the corner and take out the target he and Jeremy were hunting.

"Hey Ryan, you know how Gavin and Michael have their team name?" Jeremy's voice reached Ryan's ears through him comm.

"Yeah?" Ryan responded risking a quick peek around the corner, pulling back quickly as the concrete wall near his head exploded from the bullet colliding with it.

"Well I was thinking, we should have a team name!" Jeremy said as the target spouted out several obscenities in a language Ryan wasn't familiar with.

"Oh? I mean we could, we're a lot more badass than them," Ryan said.

"That's what I'm saying! We need to have a name that strikes fear into the dickheads of the world! Something simple and to the point, yet still makes bad guys' blood run cold," Jeremy replied as he shot an arrow through the heart of one of their targets.

"I'm open to suggestions," Ryan said as he combat rolled around the corner and sent a bullet straight through the target's head.

Ryan stood and smiled as the man crumpled to the ground and quickly took a picture before lighting a Molotov cocktail and set the body on fire. As he turned he saw another target leveling a gun at his head no more than four feet away. Panic swelled in Ryan but before either could act Jeremy fell from somewhere above and sunk his knife into the man's throat. Standing Jeremy smiled at Ryan as he wiped the blade clean.

"How about...the Battle Buddies?" he asked. Ryan thought about that for a second as he snapped more photos of the bodies while Jeremy prepared the Molotov cocktails, ryan taking a moment to admire how much Jeremy had learned from him and adopted several of Ryan's little quirks in just the six months they'd been partners.

"I like it!" he said and smiled at his friend.

"Shall we burn these fucks and get back to base to celebrate the christening of the most badass team in the Hunters organization?" Jeremy asked handing his partner a Molotov. Ryan smiled evilly and tossed the flaming bottle onto one of the corpses.

"Let's do it buddy! Battle Buddies forever!" he said.

"Battle Buddies, forever!" Jeremy agreed and tossed his Molotov, the two friends leaving the facility as it erupted in flames, their calling card.

"Hey Ryan?" Jeremy asked as they climbed aboard the helicopter sent to pick them up.

"What's up Battle Buddy?" Ryan asked.

"Remember when I first took out that target you were fighting and then I became your partner?" Jeremy asked.

"Yeah. Still think you're a dick for stealing my kill," Ryan chuckled and playfully punched Jeremy in the shoulder.

"Do you regret any of that happening?" Jeremy asked softly. Ryan looked at the lad and studied him, seeing genuine curiosity in the lad's eyes.

"Never. I'm so happy that you became a Hunter and even more happy that you're my teammate and friend. I wouldn't trade you for anything Jer," Ryan said and smiled as he gave Jeremy a small side hug.

"Aww thanks buddy!" Jeremy smiled back as he returned the hug. The two friends rode back to Hunter headquarters, knowing that the future was bright for the Battle Buddies.


End file.
